


The Rule Book

by blink88



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), GOT7
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-04-19 22:40:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14247246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blink88/pseuds/blink88
Summary: Kim Jisoo gets her big break as an actress by being casted as the female lead in the newest TV drama of one of Korea’s most renowned drama writers– the same drama in which GOT7’s Park Jinyoung just so happened to be the male lead. To bring attention to the drama, the writer proposes that the two pretend to date as a publicity stunt. Lines between what is real and what is pretend start to blur when old, unresolved feelings begin to resurface.





	1. Rule #1: Surround yourself with good people

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for your interest in this story! It's my first fic, so any comments on how I can improve is appreciated. ♥︎

“Jennie!”

“Hey Jisoo– what the hell!”

Though Jennie keeps her bedroom door closed most of the time to prevent the others from coming in unwelcomed, her best friend, Jisoo, never seems to take the hint.

Take now for example. Jisoo literally barged through Jennie’s bedroom door with this  _huge_  goofy grin on her face, jumped onto Jennie’s bed where Jennie was comfortably lying down with her dog Kuma quietly browsing through the internet on her phone, and wrapped her arms and legs around Jennie, squeezing her tightly.

A startled Kuma yelped and jumped off the bed, and Jennie dropped her phone on her face. Jennie couldn’t even rub the sore spot where the phone landed on her forehead given how tightly Jisoo was holding on to her.

“I’m giving you exactly 5 seconds to either let me go or to explain yourself before I literally kick you out of my room.”

Jisoo let Jennie go and sat up on the bed, then pulled Jennie by the arms so that she was sitting down, too, facing her. The older girl bit back another goofy grin while bouncing on the spot where she was sitting, while the younger just raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for Jisoo to continue. Being best friends with her for years, Jennie knew the look Jisoo was giving– it was her I-have-news-to-share-but-I’m-too-excited-and-don’t-know-where-to-begin look.

“Well? What is it?”

Jisoo took a deep breath. Jennie found herself doing the same thing for no particular reason.

“I just got a call. They just told me that I got the part!”

“No way. The Lee Min Hee drama you auditioned for?”

“YES!”

“ _The_  lead role?”

Jisoo just nodded her head spiritedly.

“AHHHHH! My best friend is gonna be a leading lady!”

In her excitement, Jennie leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Jisoo’s shoulders like the proud stage-best friend she is.

 

* * *

 

Weeks ago, Jisoo decided to try her luck when someone recommended that she audition for writer Lee Min Hee’s new drama that was currently casting. Though notorious for having a preference for high-profile actors and actors that she has worked with in the past, every now and then Lee Min Hee ends up casting a couple of people that do not meet any of those criteria, even though the chance is rare.

Kim Jisoo had taken that chance.

Jisoo had debuted as an actress about 2 years ago, and while she was thankful for every opportunity she got, the fact that she was being rejected for so many acting jobs and that she wasn’t landing big roles made her confidence in her acting skills wane a little. She wasn’t trained to be an actress, and she knew that there was a big prejudice against idol-actors, but she didn’t think she was a bad actress. But the roles she had been casted in so far were usually background roles, or roles appearing only on a few episodes, or as cameos where she plays herself… making her think that maybe she was  _that_  bad.

Just last year she had managed to be casted in her first film and had a relatively major role as the lead male’s younger sister. Playing that role, she had received positive reviews for her performance, even though the movie itself did not hit it too big at the box office.

But the timing of that casting just when she was losing heart and the positive reviews on her acting were enough to keep Jisoo holding on to her actress dreams, and to return some of the confidence she lost throughout the years. It was that confidence that made her walk into that audition and take that chance.

And that chance paid off.

Jisoo still couldn’t believe it.

She couldn’t believe it when, just a few minutes ago, the writer herself had called and told her that she was getting the lead role. She couldn’t believe it when they had told her that they would be forwarding the schedule of the first script reading soon, and that they’ll be coordinating with her agency for the filming schedule. She  _still_  couldn’t believe it now, even when Jennie was congratulating her.

Soon enough, the older girls’ excited squealing piqued the maknae line’s interest enough for them to come over to Jennie’s room, too.

“Oh? What’s happening?” Chaeyoung asked in her perfectly accented English, while peeking into the room with Lisa and seeing the grins on Jennie and Jisoo's faces.

“Jisoo-unnie got the part,” Jennie answered when Jisoo couldn’t say anything, her head still reeling from receiving the good news.

“Oh my gosh, really?” Lisa and Chaeyoung joined in the squealing and made their way into the room to congratulate Jisoo, and soon enough Jisoo was in the center of a very tight, OT4 hug.

“Yaaaa, we should celebrate!” Lisa told the girls after they had calmed down a little.

“Ooooh, totes. To celebrate actress Chu’s latest accomplishment,” Chaeyoung got up from the bed gestured grandly towards Jisoo.

“I haven’t even done anything yet,” Jisoo laughed embarrassedly, “I’m gonna feel pressured if you do this.”

“We’re all already proud of you for landing this role. Let us celebrate that at least,” Jennie told Jisoo, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "Besides, you're always the first one to celebrate our achievements, why shouldn't we do the same for you?" The other girls nodded in agreement, and soon enough they were all busy heading to their common room to set up for their mini-party. Lisa called for chicken and pizza delivery, Chaeyoung started decorating with whatever decors– however random– she could find in their dorm, while Jennie browsed through her playlists for an appropriate one to set the mood. Jisoo leaned against the doorpost, watching everything happen with a soft smile. 

Breaking her sentiment, she felt the phone in her hand vibrate, signalling a message. The message was from Sangwon-unnie, her manager, who was probably contacted by YG now after delivering the news to Jisoo.

“First script reading is on February 6th 2021, Saturday, at the SBS building.”

Jisoo was about to reply to Sangwon-unnie's typical, robotic message with a simple 'Ok,' until her phone buzzed again, showing her a follow-up message that was uncharacteristically sweet for their uptight manager: "P.S.: Congratulations on landing this role. I knew you could do it. Fighting, our Jisoo.”

 

* * *

 

“Jisoo-unnie, what’s the plot of your drama? I mean we’ll watch it either way, but I’m curious,” Chaeyoung asked from her spot on the couch before reaching for her– 5th? 6th?– slice of pizza.

“A popular novelist who writes with a pseudonym to keep herself anonymous works at various odd jobs to get inspiration. She grew up not knowing her parents, so when she finds her dad working for a publishing company, she gets a job there as the secretary of the CEO.”

“Oooooh. So your character is living a double-life.”

“Yeah, kind of like that," Jisoo agreed thoughtfully, then shook her head, "No actually, you know what? It's much more complicated and interesting than what I can tell you. It's like how you can't summarize a  _really_  good book without going into details."

“Do you know who your cast mates will be?”

“The director keeps the casting a secret even to us. We’ll only know next Friday when we have the first script reading.”

“Wait, so you don't even know who the other lead will be?” Lisa asked incredulously, her eyes going wide.

"No. It’s the furthest from my mind right now to be honest– I can’t even believe that I got a role. Regardless of who it’ll be... I’ll do my best.”

“What if it's Yoo Seung Ho? Jisoo-unnie will probably  _die_  when they have to film a kissing scene together,” Jennie giggled drunkenly, teasing Jisoo.

The other girls joined in the teasing, knowing very well that Jisoo has been wanting to be in a project with Yoo Seung Ho, her biggest celebrity crush, for the longest time.

“Ya, don’t say stuff like that," Jisoo felt her cheeks getting flushed, and tried to hide it by stuffing her face with another piece of chicken. "But if it's Yoo Seung Ho– if it's really him... I'll still be professional... and stuff.”

“Omo, she's stuttering and blushing? What is this, Kim Jisoo?”

"Shut up, it's just the soju shots you keep passing to me!"

Jisoo decided then to start a pillow fight, unable to take it anymore. Grabbing a pillow within her reach, she playfully hit Lisa's side to stop her from teasing. Lisa– being Lisa– retaliated, but because Jisoo anticipated it, she was able to avoid the hit, and Lisa ended up hitting Jennie. Eventually Chaeyoung gets involved when they accidentally hit her while she was about to take a bite of her pizza, making her drop it. 

The rest of the night was filled with childish games and laughter, making Jisoo less anxious for whatever challenges she may face in the filming of her drama. As long as she has her friends'– sisters'–  support, she was gonna be okay. 

Lying in her bed that night, her last thought before surrendering to dreamland was that of gratefulness.


	2. Rule #2: First impressions matter… unless you’re actually not meeting for the first time

Jisoo was inside an empty room. Was it even a room? If it was, it was so huge that she couldn’t make out the walls of it; where it started or where it ended. Everywhere she looked, all she could see was a sea of endless white. She was just standing there, alone, with no one and nothing around.

And she felt overwhelmingly lonely.

Deciding to find her way out of this ‘room,’ Jisoo started walking… but she didn’t have any sense of direction with everything and every direction looking the exactly same. She didn’t have anything to walk towards because there was just nothingness. When she called out for someone, there was no reply. Eventually, she grew tired and gave up, crouching down and burying her face into her hands.

The sound of distant footsteps getting louder and louder made Jisoo lift her head up. She looked around for the source, and from behind her she could see a familiar silhouette approaching. When that person was close enough, that person extended their hand towards Jisoo, smiling a smile that was so familiar– so comforting and warm.

“It’s been a while, Jisoo.”

Jisoo took the extended hand and held onto it tightly.

“Please stay this time.”

 

* * *

                                                        

“Jisoo? Jisoo, wake up. It’s time to go.”

Jisoo opened her eyes, and used her elbows to groggily prop herself up while trying to orient herself at the same time. She was on the couch in one of the YG recording studios, and Blackpink’s manager was staring at her while she rubbed the sleepiness off her eyes. Waking up in the studios was one of those times when everyone in YG was thankful that the place was so dimly lit– it didn’t hurt their eyes when they woke up from their late naps in between working late in the evenings (which most of the artists did– YG was the home for workaholics and insomniacs, Jisoo unexpectedly one of them.)

“What time is it?”

“02:05 am. We finished early today.”

Jisoo had fallen asleep while waiting for the others to finish their turn recording their parts for their new songs. Blackpink was scheduled to release a mini-album in early April, and were busy at the studio with their preparations. The next title track had already been selected, but the final list of songs to be included in their mini was yet to be determined so the girls were recording multiple songs as potential tracks to be considered. Blackpink was also beginning to get involved in the production of their own music, trying to establish their own ‘color’ like how the other artists in YG did. Chaeyoung– as expected– was the best at creating new and fresh melodies, while Jisoo was the one gifted with words and lyricism. As for Jennie and Lisa, they were writing their own raps now, and were the two most interested in (and good at) the actual production and mixing of the tracks.

Aside from working on their songs, the girls were at the dance practice studios everyday this week learning the choreography for their title track ahead of their music video filming, scheduled for mid-March. The days were reserved for the dance practices, and the evenings for vocal recordings and processing.

It was learning the dance that really took a toll on Jisoo– she had to practice a lot longer than the others to master the choreography because it didn’t come as naturally to her like it did for Lisa or even Chaeyoung. But it was Jisoo who was almost always the first one to finish recording her vocal parts– partly because she did not get the most lines in terms of distribution, but mostly because she was very good at following instructions of whoever was producing their track.

Not like it mattered much anyway– they all still went back to the dorm at the same time, with Jisoo refusing to leave any of the girls in the studio and insisting on staying behind and waiting for everyone to finish recording before leaving.

The thing with being busy with comeback preparations at the YG studios was that they were preoccupied with so many things that they end up losing their orientation to time and date. It wasn’t until Sangwon-unnie bought up the script reading on the car ride back to the dorm that Jisoo remembered that it was happening sooner than she had realized.

“No way, it’s already February 5th?” Jisoo took her phone out of her pocket to check the date, only to be surprised at how quickly the days passed. Out of the Blackpink girls it was Jisoo who usually knew their scheduled activities the best, but even she gets overwhelmed sometimes.

“Yes,” the manager laughed dryly to herself, looking at her phone, probably trying to keep up with all their upcoming schedules, “Funny, I’d thought that you’d be counting down the days considering how excited you’ve been for the project.”

“I _am_ excited for it. Really, I am. But I’m also very busy,” Jisoo leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, “Too many things are going on right now with the comeback stuff and this drama and my sister’s wedding preparations.”

“You’ll get through it. Just take it one day at a time.” The manager gave Jisoo reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder before turning to the back seats to wake up the other girls as they approached the Blackpink dorm. “Get plenty of rest today, you have the rest of day off.”

 

* * *

 

Blackpink’s day offs usually just consisted of one or a combination of the following activities: going home to see their families, shopping, having a food trip to look for hole-in-the-wall food places in non-popular areas, going on photowalks, staying in the dorm to watch movies together or play video games, or sleeping.

This particular day off– which Jisoo had expected would be spent sleeping given their rigorous rehearsals in the last few days– was spent helping Jisoo decide which outfit to wear to her first script reading the next day.

The ever laidback Kim Jisoo didn’t see the point– she had told the girls that she had not planned out her outfit and would probably just don a simple sweatshirt-jeans-sneakers combo and go– only to be met by aghast expressions and objections (mostly from Jennie).

“I thought all of you were tired from rehearsals? Let’s just sleep in and not worry about something this trivial,” Jisoo whined as she tried to maneuver herself back into her room, intending to bury herself between the warm sheets. But Jennie and Chaeyoung held on to her sleeve before she could get too far, insisting on the importance of her outfit. Lisa, who was lounging on the couch with their dorm dogs Kuma and Dalgom, was laughing at the scenario unfolding in front of her.

“Aside from giving a good first impression, there will be press photos released from the first reading,” Jennie told her matter-of-factly, as if she was annoyed that Jisoo didn’t realize this.

“Let them take a photo of me in my sweatshirt, then. We’re endorsing the brand anyway.” While the other girls held on to her sleeve and tried to convince her, Jisoo continued to drag herself tug-of-war style towards her bedroom door.

“Would you like Yoo Seung Ho to see you in a simple sweatshirt on your first meeting?”

Jisoo rolled her eyes at Chaeyoung’s illogical argument, “Oh my god, stop it with Yoo Seung Ho. He’s not gonna be casted in the same drama. At least I don’t think so.”

“That’s besides the point but at least we got your attention now. The point is, we don’t know who your co-stars will be. You probably have not met many of them before, so it’s best to portray yourself in the specific way that you want to be perceived by them on this first meeting.”

“Jennie-unnie’s right.” They all turned to the couch, where Lisa made her first contribution to the conversation. Jennie gave her an approving smile.

“Great, thanks for the support there, Lis,” Jisoo glared at her, feeling betrayed by the usually neutral member. Lisa just stuck out her tongue at her.

“For all you know the man of your dreams can be right there in that room with you tomorrow.”

“Rosie, that’s not even–” Jisoo started to say something to continue reasoning with the two, but eventually she just stopped struggling against their hold knowing that it’s futile, and let out a deep sigh. “Fine.”

“Fine?”

“Just to do whatever you want. I’m too tired to continue arguing. The sooner we finish the sooner I get to go back to sleep.”

 

* * *

 

On the way up to the conference room with her manager, Jisoo straightened the wrinkles off the clothes that the other girls chose for her. Well, technically, Jisoo chose the outfit, and they approved of it. Either way, the black shirt-black skirt-pinstriped blazer combo was a nice compromise between Jisoo’s simple and carefree style and the more chic style the other girls wanted. It’s better than anything their stage stylists would choose at least.

The elevator seemed to move so slowly on her way up. The overwhelming emotion while counting down the days to this first meeting with the rest of the cast members was that of excitement– but there was also this small, persistent feeling of nervousness about being in her first drama. Jisoo did not want to mess this up.

“Jisoo! Hi! You’re here. It’s good to see you again. You look prettier each time I see you,” writer Lee stood up from her seat and approached Jisoo excitedly as soon as she entered the conference room. Writer Lee Min Hee was peculiar– an awkward and lanky, smiley, intelligent-looking lady with those thick and huge glasses that always seem to slide down from her nose-bridge– but she also had an approachable vibe to her that Jisoo liked. “You’re a bit early, though, so the you’re the first cast member here.”

“I guess I’m just too excited,” Jisoo grinned up at her before making a small bow in greeting, “Thank you for the opportunity.”

“We’re also very much excited to work with you,” she told Jisoo as she led her to her assigned seat in the middle of the long conference table, “You can sit here. Your co-stars should be arriving soon. For now, meet your director, Director Kang.”

Jisoo said her greetings to the director before pulling out her seat and sitting down on her spot. Because it was only Jisoo, the writers, the director, some producers, and a few staff members in the room, it was quiet after the all introductions and pleasantries were made– too quiet for Jisoo.

Writer Lee, who was seated on one side of Jisoo, was busy writing something on her tattered work notebook while talking to someone on the phone, and Jisoo couldn’t bother her with her basic inquiries– at least not right now.  So she just turned forward, and tried to busy herself with whatever is there to try and distract herself from the quietness.

The corners of her copy of the script were beginning to look dog-eared from her continuously picking on it. She had started to draw her infamous Shumon on the moisture forming on the glass of water in front of her. She put on and removed her prescription glasses alternately a couple of times, until she finally decided that she wanted them on. Then she started swiveling around in her chair before deciding that no, she wanted the glasses off, and placed them next to her book and phone on the table.

Her manager, who had just been carefully watching her from the back, tapped her shoulder and whispered to her, “Don’t be nervous.”

“That obvious?”

“A little bit, yeah. Why don’t you go to the bathroom first to calm down?”

Jisoo nodded, then tapped Writer Lee’s shoulder when she was finally off her phone to politely tell her that she needed to go to the comfort room.

“Sure! Just be back soon. I’ve just received notice that our male lead is on his way up. He’s always been a punctual one too, this kid.”

“Oh, then I really better head to the bathroom and make myself look presentable for our leading man, then,” Jisoo said with a small smile, trying to keep the mood light and her nerves at bay.

Writer Lee chuckled, going along with Jisoo’s lighthearted remark, “But you are already too pretty! Don’t overdo it, he might fall in love with you too quickly.”

“Omo. We wouldn’t want that.”

 

* * *

 

 

When Jisoo returned from her bathroom trip (which was mostly spent giving herself a pep talk in front of the mirror and trying to calm down instead of actually emptying her bladder) there was someone sitting next to her spot on the table. Because their spot was facing away from the door, she could only see his back from where she was standing. She tilted her head to try and get a look at his face, but Writer Lee saw her enter and stood up excitedly, clapping her hands to together and startling most of the people in the room.

“You’re back! Jisoo, meet your male lead,” she grinned and gestured to the man sitting next to Jisoo’s spot, who slowly got up and turned to face her. Jisoo couldn’t make out who he was because she had left her glasses on the table, but when he greeted her with a friendly, “Hello, Jisoo. It’s been a while,” Jisoo felt a pang of recognition at the all too familiar voice. She just stared at him, and the more she looked the more she was sure who the owner of that voice was, despite her blurry vision. The look of amusement on her manager’s face was also very telling.

It was certainly not Yoo Seung Ho.

But Chaeyoung was right about one thing– Jisoo was gonna be in the same room as the man of her dreams today.

 _Literally_.

The person in front of her now was the same person who unexpectedly made an appearance in her dreams just a couple of nights ago.

Just like in that dream, he extended his hand towards Jisoo, smiling.

After the initial shock of meeting him again, Jisoo managed to genuinely smile back and take his extended hand for a handshake. “Park Jinyoung, _nyeong-an_.”


	3. Rule #3: Time Changes Many Things

Having taken Jinyoung’s hand for a handshake Jisoo was finally close enough to make out his features. It’s been 3 years since she last saw him up close like this. His features were more mature now, but he still had that boyish charm to his looks that made it difficult to look away, especially when he smiled.

By the look of his raised, questioning eyebrow, Jisoo figured that her sudden use to _nyeongan_ had taken him aback. Maybe he just didn’t remember that she always used to greet him like that. Or maybe…

“Oh, did I overdo it? Was that greeting too casual?” Jisoo asked worriedly while biting her lip and berating herself for not speaking formally like he did. Yes, they were friends– well, _kind of_ – but having met for the first time in three years, she should not have dropped formalities so quickly, especially in such a professional setting. If she was being quite honest, seeing someone familiar just made her excited– too excited, maybe.

“No, it’s alright. Don’t worry about it,” Jinyoung told her, though he continued to speak formally– cautiously– with her.

Seeing someone familiar, Jisoo wanted to catch up with Jinyoung, wanted to ask him what he’s been doing since they last talked. What books he’s read, since they used to always talk about that. Or what new places he’s travelled to, or new games he was playing. But before she could organize all her thoughts into a coherent sentence and speak another word, Writer Lee interjected to continue with the introductions. Jisoo had almost forgotten that there were others in the room, getting so lost in reuniting with an old friend unexpectedly.

“You two… know each other?” Writer Lee looked from Jinyoung to Jisoo back and forth, her eyes growing wide with curiosity behind those huge glasses of hers as she took in the situation.

“Yes,” they said simultaneously while turning to the writer, perfectly in sync. When they realized it, they looked at each other and chuckled at themselves.

“We worked together as music show MCs back in 2017. Jinyoung and I met for the first time this building, too– the SBS building.”

Jinyoung nodded wordlessly, letting Jisoo do the talking.

“Oh is that so? I actually had you two come a bit earlier than the rest of the cast so that you can get to know each other a little, but this coincidental turn of events makes things so much simpler!”

“Well,” Jinyoung cleared his throat, “Miss Kim and I haven’t really talked since then. We might actually still need the time to get acquainted again.”

The writer smiled. “You guys already seem acquainted enough seeing how you’re still holding each other’s hands. That’s a pretty long handshake.”

The room erupted into a chorus of giggles and comments about how cute they are together, causing the two to abruptly let go of each other’s hands. Jisoo placed her hand inside her pocket, while Jinyoung just smiled like it was nothing– both of them unfazed by the teasing.

It figures. They were used to those kinds of reactions anyway.             

Back when they were still working together in Inkigayo four years ago, even though she did not let it show, Jisoo was very much aware of the comments from the Inkigayo staff about how cute she and Jinyoung look together. There were comments online as well that she discovered from lurking on Twitter and Instagram, especially following their Uptown Funk dance. There were also instances when Doyoung or Lisa or the other Blackpink (and even Twice) members would tease Jisoo about how she looked at Jinyoung or spoke of him in a certain way, or comment on how it was probably more than coincidence– fate, maybe– that Jisoo met Jinyoung right when GOT7’s dating ban was lifted by JYP, or how the two always seemed to read the same books. Even the writers would sometimes write the script with the mildest undertones of Jisoo and Jinyoung being a couple or something along those lines, and she and Jinyoung just went along with it without thinking about it too much. It was, after all, a job.

And Jisoo, trying to be professional, treated it as such.

Over the weeks what was initially a professional relationship blossomed into a genuine friendship, with the two getting comfortable talking to each other about random things. Their conversations could range from what they had for breakfast to a discussion about the symbolisms in the books they had both read. Jinyoung, being the more senior of the two, would sometimes give Jisoo advice when she would seem overwhelmed about the difficulties that came with being an idol. Jisoo, on the other hand, once read lines with Jinyoung to help him prepare for an upcoming drama audition of his, since Jinyoung admitted to not having that many female friends to run lines with and he couldn’t take the GOT7 members seriously when he ran lines with them. That favor Jinyoung returned by bringing Jisoo her favorite snack from Japan when he came back from an overseas schedule. All this occurred simultaneously with their playful banters and teasing in between takes.

It was this comfortable friendship that made emceeing Inkigayo something that Jisoo looked forward to each week.

But, nearing the end of their MC stint Jisoo noticed that Jinyoung started distancing himself from her, and she never understood nor asked why. She just told herself that maybe he just didn’t like her, or that he was too conscious of what his fans would think if they were too close. At that time, it was for the best anyway, so Jisoo didn’t overthink– she just accepted that they were growing apart. She told herself again and again that it was just a job, and whatever feelings of attachment she had were fleeting, brought about by the forced proximity of having to work together on a weekly basis, and that it was all over, she wouldn’t have such a soft spot for the seemingly-cool-but-extremely-dorky guy with the electric smile, weird sense of humor, and excellent taste in books. Besides, Jisoo was just in her second year post-debut at that time, and she wouldn’t want to get Blackpink any trouble for being too close with male idols. Whether that closeness was just friendship or something else, Jisoo wasn’t brave enough to explore those feelings.

The last time they had talked to each other was 3 years ago– they took one last selca as JinJiDo in one of their shared dressing rooms, then Jinyoung left first after saying his goodbyes. Jisoo watched him leave quietly, even though part of her really wanted to tell him to keep in touch.

At present, the two of them sat side-by-side in the middle of the long table while Writer Lee and Director Kang briefed them about how the drama production schedule was going to go. The filming would last about 5 months, starting in about 2 weeks, and some of the scenes would have to be filmed in New York. If everything goes according to the timeline, the first episode of the drama would air in mid-July and the last episode would be in the first week of September. That means that they would be at the tail end of their filming schedule while the drama is airing, because of scheduling constraints.  While all this is happening, Jisoo would be promoting her new album with Blackpink and preparing for their 12-show Japan tour, beginning in August. She would have to fly back between Korea for drama filming and promotions and Japan for the tours during that time. 

They had already sent Jisoo and her team the initial schedule, but even so, hearing them say it out loud made Jisoo’s head spin and jaw drop.

“You okay?” Jinyoung asked, probably noticing Jisoo’s expression. After Jinyoung asked but before Jisoo could answer, one of the PDs noticed her expression as well and felt the need to reassure her that everything was being taken care of.

“Don’t worry, Jisoo. We’re currently in contact with your companies to coordinate your schedules and to ensure that you’ll miss as little group activities as possible,” PD Nam said, tapping a pen on the clipboard she had in her arms, “But it can’t be helped at times. You have a very tight schedule. You’ll miss some activities for your upcoming promotion cycle in April, especially.”

PD Nam’s words meant well, but it didn’t reassure Jisoo at all. What she was worried about was not really missing group schedules– she expected that– what she was worried about was whether or not she can handle the schedule. But she just nodded and smiled, not wanting anyone to worry. She knew was she was getting into, and she shouldn’t act like she is entitled to demand anything, especially with her first lead role. This was a job.

Someone tapped Writer Lee on the shoulder and whispered something in her ear. “Looks like the rest of the cast started to arrive. Let’s get ready for the first script reading!”

While everyone got up from the tables to get ready to welcome the rest of the cast, Jisoo stayed put in her spot a few seconds longer than everyone else, trying to psych herself up before the drama production began. She whispered to herself, “You can do this. You got this, Kim Jisoo.” Next to her, a deep voice echoed, “Yes, you got this, Kim Jisoo.” She looked up to see Jinyoung flashing her a quick amused smile before standing up from his spot.

The rest of the day was an unremarkable whirlwind– everything happened so fast, but at the same time, there was nothing out of the ordinary. They met the rest of the cast members, and while Jisoo was nervous about meeting so many good actors and actresses she’ll be working with and whether she can do a good job as the lead actress, they made her feel comfortable, and she was able to mingle with them easily after she got over her initial shyness. By the end of the day she was joking and exchanging numbers with her co-stars, with them promising to help her get into the role and give her advice about acting, especially those more experienced than she was.

The most difficult part was the actual script reading.

There was this awkward tension between her and Jinyoung. They could hardly look each other in the eye without one of them breaking it within seconds.

“I think you guys are too conscious of each other. Get into your characters and we’ll try that scene again, okay? Remember, you are not Jisoo and Jinyoung– you are Yebin and Jungho.” Writer Lee said from across the table, where everyone was watching them closely. One of the directors whispered something to her, and she waved her hand dismissively while answering a little too audibly that she still believes she made the correct casting choice and stands by it. Jisoo pretended not to hear it so she wouldn't get discouraged, took a deep breath, and started the scene again, saying her lines with renewed determination.

While it took them a couple of tries, when they did get it, it was magic. Once they got their groove, they ended up getting into the scenes so much that the others chattered excitedly around them, making remarks about the chemistry that was already starting to form between the leads. From the corner of her eye during the scene, she saw Writer Lee tell the director beside her smugly, “I told you so. They are perfect for these roles.”

 

* * *

 

After the script reading and press photos, everyone either left or hung around the conference room. Jisoo was one of the last ones among the latter group. While waiting for her manager to return from her phone call, she paced back and forth in one corner of the room trying to decide whether she will or she won’t.

Ultimately, the former won out, and she headed towards the other side of huge conference room. Her hand hovered over someone’s shoulder reluctantly for a few seconds before she mustered the courage to actually tap him and call his attention.

“Yes?”

“Jinyoung? You busy?” He was sitting cross-legged on one of the couches in one corner of the room, holding the script in his hands. He looked up at her and shook his head to answer her inquiry. “Did you need something?”

“No. Nothing.” Jisoo shrugged.

“Then why–”

“Okay, fine. I actually did want to say something,” she gestured towards the couch, wordlessly asking for permission if she can sit. He didn’t answer, but he scooted over towards one end of the couch to give her space– too much space for someone her size. Jisoo plopped down on it, leaving a respectable amount of distance between them– just enough to hear what each other was saying but not enough to make either of them uncomfortable.

“I wanted to say sorry.”

“Sorry?” Jinyoung finally looked up at Jisoo when she said those words, confused. “For what exactly?”

“When we met this morning I greeted you casually in front of everyone, like we close friends, when we haven’t spoken in a long time. I think it’s because I was nervous and I was excited to see a familiar face. But that’s beyond the point. It was rude, so I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize–”

“I do actually. Because I put you on the spot and now there’s this awkwardness between us that might affect our performance in this drama.”

He didn’t deny it nor did he interrupt her. He was just looking at her expectantly, as if he was waiting for her to make sense. Jisoo continued, “I was thinking... Why don’t we just look at this as an awkward first meeting between new acquaintances?”

There was a pause between them, and Jisoo gave him time to process what she just said.

“You mean,” he furrowed his brows together and spoke slowly, “treat this meeting as if we were meeting each other for the first time.”

“Yes?” she nodded, although she was unsure of her intentions at this point. It sounded ridiculous now that he was repeating it back to her. “Writer Lee said we were too conscious of each other, and I think it’s because we do know each other from before. So I thought that if–”

“Okay,” he agreed before Jisoo could finish, a small smile forming on his lips. Jisoo couldn’t tell if he was just humoring her or if he really agreed. He’s always been difficult to read.

“O...kay?”

“Yeah. It makes sense. We might as well be strangers again anyway, not having spoken for a long time. It’s not like we can pick up where we left off because many things have changed since then. You’re probably not the same Jisoo I befriended before, and I'm not the same Jinyoung you probably knew. So maybe we should just get to know each other again then, as present Jinyoung and Jisoo.”

“Yeah! Yeah, exactly,” she nodded enthusiastically while laughing, happy that he was getting her nonsense and made it seem like it was not nonsense after all. “It’s like you read my mind and said what I was thinking more articulately than I did.”

He chuckled. “It’s nice to meet you then, Kim Jisoo.”

She smiled and shook his hand for the second time today, feeling the tension ease up already. “Likewise, Park Jinyoung. I’m looking forward to working on this project with you.”

The two started to exchange numbers so they can contact each other for help or if they want to run lines together to prevent the awkwardness that happened earlier from occurring again, but Jisoo's manager came to collect her just then. “Sorry to interrupt, but we have to go. Jisoo, we need to catch the other girls at the studio.”

“I guess that’s my cue to go,” she hurriedly completed inputting her number in his phone while standing up, and handed his phone to him before heading towards the door and rushing after her manager who had already brisk walked out. “See you on rehearsals and filming next week. Bye-bye Jinyoung! Introduce yourself when you text me, okay? I wasn't able to input your number in my phone.”

“O-okay. Bye–” he called out as she rushed out.

While on the way to way to rehearsals, Jisoo received a text from an unknown number. The sender didn't introduce himself, but the message needed no introduction as Jisoo could tell immediately who it was.

“Nyeongan, Jisoo-hyung.”

 _He remembers_.

 

* * *

 

Jisoo was the last to wake up the next morning, tired from the script reading and rehearsals from the day before. When she entered the living room, she saw Lisa and Chaeyoung crowding over Jennie and her laptop.

“Um. Good morning?”

All three heads looked up at her simultaneously at the sound of her voice, then they pulled her by the arm and dragged to her to sit with them on the couch. “The articles about the first script reading of your drama are trending! People are excited for this drama!”

“Really?” Jisoo said excitedly, looking at the screen of the laptop on Jennie's lap. She rubbed the morning's sleepiness off her eyes as she read through the article that the girls had open.

“Your outfit looks nice in the photos! You’re so pretty, Jisoo-unnie,” Chaeyoung remarked as Jennie continued to scroll through the article.

“’I’m excited to see Jisoo finally have a leading role. She was so good in her last movie.’ ‘It’s a Lee Min Hee drama so it’s definitely gonna be good.’ ‘Kim Jisoo is too pretty! Let’s hit daebak!’ ‘This cast is no joke– look at that lineup.’ ‘The leads are unheard of– Kim Jisoo and Park Jinyoung. Both idols, but both really good actors, too. I’m excited,’” Lisa read some of the top comments out loud, trying to make her voice sound different with each comment, making the other girls laugh.

“Park Jinyoung is the other lead? As in... GOT7 Jinyoung? JinJiDo Jinyoung?” 

“Yeah,” Jisoo said nonchalantly, trying hard not to sound like it mattered too much. They looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, they probed further, “And? What is it like meeting him again?”

“I’m treating him no differently than I would any other person who got his role. It’s just about as awkward as meeting anyone for the first time,” Jisoo stood up form the couch and went towards their kitchen to prepare breakfast. She needed a distraction from these cheeky girls, and she was hungry anyway– might as well hit two birds with one stone. “Whoever is playing the other lead doesn’t matter anyway. It’s my first leading role in a drama. I’ll do my best regardless of who the other lead is.”

“As expected of our professional actress Choo!” Lisa cheered. "But I will say that you guys look nice together in these first reading photos, so I'm super excited.”

“You know,” Jennie said, “I heard from an actress friend of mine that Park Jinyoung worked with before that he’s a _really_ good kisser.”

“La la la la la, ddu du ddu du,” Jisoo sang aloud while preparing breakfast for everyone, pretending not to hear what Jennie just said and trying to hide the blush that was creeping up her cheeks because of her remark. They continued with the teasing the entire day, and Jisoo just shrugged off every comment until they no longer found it fun to tease Jisoo. (But that only seemed to stop them temporarily).

That evening after another full day of rehearsals, Jisoo went back to her room and looked over the script to try and familiarize herself with the lines for the first filming. Having met the cast and now being able to match the faces to the characters made reading the script more fun, and she couldn’t help but smile, more excited than nervous now for filming to begin.


	4. Rule #4: There's no such thing as bad publicity

_“Excuse me, but I’m applying for the job of a secretary, not your slave.”_

_“You have some guts. Is that how you talk to your possible future employer?”_

_“Of course not… unless they’re being self-absorbed jerks who talk like they’re… they’re…”_

“CUT! Jisoo, your line...”

“Sorry! Sorry…” Jisoo apologized repeatedly while bowing in all directions for forgetting her lines _again._ That was maybe the 3rd time for this scene, and Jisoo was starting to get frustrated that she couldn’t get it right, given that this was already their fourth day of filming.

“Let’s take a short break and resume in 15 minutes,” Director Kang said in a big, commanding voice. Everyone dispersed for a coffee break, while Jisoo stayed in the middle of the set and hung her head. The director walked over to her and pat her head, his voice now soft and understanding, “Don’t be too hard on yourself. Take a deep breath and be ready when we resume, okay?” Jisoo nodded, still unable to look the director directly. Other cast members also came by to cheer her up and encourage her, and while she nodded and smiled at them, Jisoo could feel her confidence waning bit by bit.

After they had all left to take their breaks, Jisoo sat down on one of the chairs near the set and opened the script to try and memorize her lines instead of wallowing in her mistakes. She was memorizing her lines with her eyes closed, trying to immerse herself into the role. When she reopened her eyes, Jinyoung was sitting next to her looking straight ahead, and in between them there was a carton of Chuckie, her favorite chocolate drink. Jinyoung knew it was her favorite– it has been even during their Inkigayo days. She found it sweet that he remembers the small things like that even after so long. She took it with a smile and bumped Jinyoung lightly with her shoulder, “Thank you.”

He flashed her a small smile, then without a cue, started saying his lines to try and get Jisoo to run her lines with him in order help her practice. She just went along with him, her smile returning to her face bit by bit once she got through line after line without mistakes– _finally_. Hopefully her mastery of her lines and confidence carry over the actual shoot.

“You got it.”

“Thanks to you, the best co-star _ever_ ,” she grinned up at him sweetly, and he just shook his head at her outlandishness. Jisoo stuck her tongue out at him.

“How are you adjusting? Are you doing alright?”

“Yeah! Of course. I'm Kim Jisoo,” Jisoo said in between sips of her Chuckie. She smiled, but the smile didn't last long on her lips. That wasn’t really a lie, though. She was alright… other than the fact that she doesn’t get to rehearse her lines the night before because comeback rehearsals end at dawn and she has to be at the drama filming site by early morning and as a result she keeps messing up her lines and delaying the shoot.

But she was _alright_.

“You don’t look too convinced.”

Jisoo shrugged just focused on her drink and not at Jinyoung’s gaze, not admitting or denying anything. Jinyoung was very astute, and sometimes it was both a blessing and a curse that he was so observant.

He continued in response to Jisoo’s non-answer, “You know you can call me if you want to run lines after your rehearsals.”

Jisoo turned to him incredulously and shook her head. “Absolutely not. Rehearsals end at dawn these days given that Blackpink’s music video shoot is just a few days away.”

“We’re co-stars– we help each other out. It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me. You need to sleep as much as you can, too. Your insomnia…”

Jinyoung looked at Jisoo with his eyes wide, probably forgetting that he had shared that little fact to her before when they were co-workers. Again she avoided his gaze.

“Anyway,” Jisoo retracted her words, knowing it wasn’t something Jinyoung talked about often, “No.”

“I’ll call you then,” he shrugged and stood up nonchalantly, preparing to return to the set.

“Jinyoung, you really don’t have to.”

“I know,” he said as he kept walking, and watching his back as he walked away, Jisoo knew that there was no convincing him otherwise.

 

* * *

 

“Why do you keep doing this?”

Jisoo asked over the line after they finished another one of their late night over-the-phone script rehearsals, something that has been going on since Jinyoung noticed that the girl barely has time to practice her lines with anyone given her schedule. It’s been about 3 weeks since they had began filming. When they finished running lines over the phone, their conversations would usually be unpredictable– anything from new memes and trending videos to worries, fears, dreams, new books, old books. But somehow Jisoo always found a way to bring the conversation back to ask why Jinyoung was still doing this. He didn’t know how many times she had asked that particular question, and Jinyoung didn’t know what answer she wanted or expected, but he kept it simple and consistent– “Because we’re co-stars and we’re only as good as the other one is.”

“But what you’re doing is beyond what you should be doing as a co-star, you know? I should be rehearsing hard on my own. You do well even without running lines with me at such ungodly hours when you could be spending it doing something more useful– like sleeping.”

Jinyoung sat up on his bed and looked at the digital clock sitting atop one of his shelves. 3:30AM. She has a point. He didn’t need to run lines with her like this because he already knew his lines. He could be sleeping. But then again, talking to her like this… well, he preferred listening to her voice than going back to sleep not knowing when nightmares would strike again. It was calming– she was calming. The truth was that Jinyoung was doing this not because he _should_ , but because he wanted to. Not that he’d ever tell her that outright.

“Well. It’s difficult learning lines on your own. I’m doing this for myself also. I learn best when I run lines with someone. So it’s not really as selfless as you are making it out to be.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

There was silence on the other line. For a minute Jinyoung thought she had fallen asleep– it wouldn’t be the first time she fell asleep while talking to him like this– but then before he could hang up for the night, he heard a soft, sleepy chuckle. “That’s a lie.”

“No, it’s not,” he denied, unable to keep an amused smile from forming on his lips at the contrast of her sleepiness and her sharpness.

“It’s okay. I know you’re doing it to help me out but won’t say it because that’s just how you are. You're unexpectedly sweet. Always have been. I want you to know that I appreciate it. Thank you, Jinyoung.”

There was silence on the other line at that time, and Jinyoung was convinced she fell asleep already. 

With a small voice, he said softly, “…you’re always welcome, Jisoo.”

 

* * *

 

Filming nearly every day and spending the late nights talking on the phone was bound to make the Jisoo and Jinyoung close sooner or later. The developing friendship between the two wasn’t lost on Writer Lee, who noticed that they were getting comfortable together even after years of not talking and had developed an amazing dynamic together. Jisoo’s confidence in her acting was increasing, and it showed in her performance. Writer Lee was overjoyed at how Jisoo was portraying her role, still pretty proud of her personal choice to pick her against everyone else’s other choices. She wanted to tell everyone who never gave Jisoo a chance, “I told you so.” Most of Jisoo’s success in portraying her role was because of her innate talent and the amount of effort she was exerting, but Jisoo says that she couldn’t have adjusted this well without Jinyoung’s help.

As for Jinyoung, who Writer Lee was worked with multiple times before, it was the first time she saw him enjoying himself as much as he did on set. Jisoo was charming and bright, and she brought a radiant energy to set– when she wasn’t losing confidence, that is. Jisoo and Jinyoung being close in age really brought out the youth in Jinyoung– it was the first time Writer Lee had seen him not acting so stiffly and laughing a lot, playing pranks– basically just being the 26-year old kid was, not the 26-year old man who was forced into an adult world.

As Writer Lee watched her two leads argue while playing a racing game on their phones against each other while they had their make-up done with a proud grin on her face, she felt someone tap her shoulder. “I have an idea.”

 

* * *

 

Jinyoung and Jisoo sat side-by-side on the opposite side of a large wooden table. On the other side of the table sat Writer Lee, Director Kang, and one of the PDs– PD Kim. She was a PD, but she was mostly assigned to marketing and promotions.

You could cut the silence with a knife, and it was Jisoo who was the brave soul who broke the silence. “If I may ask, why did you ask Jinyoung and I to come here? Did we do something wrong?”

Writer Lee chuckled as she shook her head. “We just have a proposal for you two.”

“A proposal?” Jinyoung echoed. He shifted in his seat and leaned forward, the writer’s words piquing his interest.

“Yes,” PD Kim said. “Before we get to the proposal, I’ll ask you something first. Do you know about the drama Snowflake?”

“Yes,” Jinyoung answered, “It was the most popular drama last winter.”

“It was a really good drama,” Jisoo added, “But why do you ask us about it?”

“The leading actors of that drama got into a dating scandal,” PD Kim said. Her face was unreadable.

There was silence as Jinyoung and Jisoo took in those words.

Jinyoung cleared his throat, “You should not worry about that happening with Jisoo and I, PD-nim.”

Jisoo nodded in agreement, “He’s right. We won’t… that won’t happen.”

“Yes. It won’t happen. Our companies…”

“Yes! They’re strict–”

“ _Very_ strict–”

“It won’t happen. Please don’t worry,” Jisoo continued.

The writer, PD, and director started laughing at the two. Jisoo and Jinyoung are both standing from their seats, a look slight panic painted on both their faces.

“Calm down, calm down,” Director Kang said, waving his hands at the two and gesturing for them to sit down. “This is related to our proposal so please just let us finish.” He gestured to the PD to continue.

“Oh yes, our proposal,” she took out her phone and started scrolling through statistics she had gathered. “The drama Snowflake… well, the dating rumors came out in the middle of the drama. These statistics show that the drama ended up garnering more viewers _after_ the dating rumor came out. Normally this happens if a drama is good, but these statistics show an increase that was not a normal trend for most dramas Basically, the dating rumor gave more viewers to the drama. The rumor made more people watch the drama, but people stuck with it until the end because the story is good.”

Jisoo nodded, although she still didn’t quite understand where everything was going. She looked at Jinyoung beside her, and he looked just as if not more confused that she was.

“We wanted to use the same marketing tactic is what we’re getting at,” the director clasped his hands together and placed them on the table. “There is a lot of prejudice against idol actors– we have two as our leads– and we need a marketing strategy that can bring more interest to the drama. We know the story is good, and you two are good actors. We just need some traction to make sure people watch.”

Another silence. Another blank look on Jisoo’s face while waiting for them to continue. Another look from Jisoo to Jinyoung to see if he was following what was going on. His furrowed brows showed that he didn't.

“So, if you guys are amenable to it… we want you two to be involved in your own dating rumor to bring attention to the drama.”


End file.
